Eyes on Citizens.

[DFC]

EYES ON CITIZENS
Govt hires tech company to monitor social media feedback on national issues

By Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com

Story Created: Jan 15, 2015 at 1:34 AM ECT

Story Updated: Jan 15, 2015 at 1:34 AM ECT

Posts and opinions from users of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are being monitored by the Government. This includes comments posted on news sites maintained by media houses.
This, as a private firm has been hired to gauge the feedback from the public on national issues such as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s recent speech on the eco­nomy.
In September 2014, Ministry of Trade, Investments, Industry and Communications, led by Minister Vasant Bharath, commissioned JL (Jeston Lett) Creative Source to monitor the opinions of the people on social media. The company recently monitored the feedback from social media with respect to Persad-Bissessar’s address to the nation on January 8, 2015.
Feedback was also monitored on the controversial billboards that were erected along some of the nation’s highways, bearing the Prime Minister’s image and her Merry Christmas and Happy New year greetings to the people.
Based on information from the feedback gathered, Bharath had said earlier this month, 80 per cent of social media had no problem with the billboards although there appeared to be much negative hype about them.
However, the social media and monitoring report on the Prime Minister’s address to the nation found there was a 50/50 feedback, with the average citizen leaning towards positive sentiments.
The overall sentiments from social media found 49 per cent of the feedback was positive, 42 per cent negative and nine per cent neutral. Lett, managing director of JL Cre­ative Source, in a telephone inter-view yesterday, explained to the
Express how his company derived this information.
He said all the feedback gathered with respect to the opinions on the Prime Minister’s speech was from computer software that was able to pull posts from profiles and sites that were public, using specific keyword searches.
Lett said there are times when the information is manually sorted but in this case, the results were from the software searches.
The monitoring overview showed 61 per cent of feedback gathered was from women and 39 per cent, males. Lett said direct questions posted by social media users relating to the Prime Minister’s address also came up in the search. For example: Is the PM being totally honest with the population? Is the Government governing or playing politics? Is there more or less confidence in the Government following the address? Does the Government has what it takes to weather the storm?
The majority of social media users who were monitored fell with­in the 25-to-34 and 18-to-24 age groups.
Lett said the issue with the billboards was the first controversy his company monitored for the respon­ses on social media.
Lett said further, JL Creative Source, which is based in Chaguanas was contracted through the Gov­ernment Information Service Ltd (GISL), from September 2014 to September 2015, to monitor social media as it relates to information provided by the Government and nation­al issues.
He did not disclose the value of the contract for these services.
Bharath told the Express Govern­ment decided to take the initiative and look at the feedback from the people on social media to help guide and adjust, if necessary, their plans and policies.
“Whatever we do, we measure to ensure that we get the response that we want, if not, we can tweak it; every action that we take as a Govern-ment, we want to ensure that it is benefiting the people and they get value from it,” said Bharath.




http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/EYE ... 41971.html

[maj. tom]

so dem watching we too?

[DFC]

this is why i only post music on my FB.

FB is the greatest spy tool.

[VexXx Dogg]

I wonder how much this particular project costs.

[UML]

trinis fraid to be monitored eh

vex dey cah wear dey hat in the bank.

dey fraid SSA monitoring for national security


now they fraid govt monitoring their post....MAYBE they want to see what disgruntling the people and what views they have and points they can learn from...so they can better operate and maybe always be in govt? continual improvement?

MAYBE!!


If yuh doh have cocoa in the sun why fear anything?

[VexXx Dogg]

In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality, was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense.

[antlind]

The information being monitored is within the public domain. One of the Oil and Gas companies I worked for did the same type of monitoring. I would be surprised if the TT Govt is the only governing party doing this type of monitoring. Nothing wrong IMHO.

[Chimera]

if you dont want to be monitored then simply don't put the information online.

[RBphoto]

so dem watching we too?

Three letters... U...M.... *internet disconnected at the server.

[Redman]

I wonder how much this particular project costs.

So GORTT pays for data/info to be used in UNC election campaign.
Or are they publishing the results since its public funds?

[black start]

if you dont want to be monitored then simply don't put the information online.

Why you talk so much sense?

[j.o.e]

He did not disclose the value of the contract for these services.
Bharath told the Express Govern­ment decided to take the initiative and look at the feedback from the people on social media to help guide and adjust, if necessary, their plans and policies.

I just care about the cost... don't waste money on cup,gift and billboard and then waste more money to figure out I'm not pleased

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

trinis fraid to be monitored eh

vex dey cah wear dey hat in the bank.

dey fraid SSA monitoring for national security


now they fraid govt monitoring their post....MAYBE they want to see what disgruntling the people and what views they have and points they can learn from...so they can better operate and maybe always be in govt? continual improvement?

MAYBE!!


If yuh doh have cocoa in the sun why fear anything?

Before you go down the route of "only Trinis":

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/techn ... d=all&_r=0

People don't like to be monitored like that. Not because they have things to hide. It doesn't work like that.

[hustla_ambition101]

I thought the National Conversation was supposed to gauge reaction from the citizenry?

[j.o.e]

PP supporters will let Kams screw them with a barbed wire dildo....they would throw a fit if Patos did similar...after all he was an "emperor, creeping dictator, Mugabe"

[- Rovin's car audio -]

its very simple : if u dont want ppl to know ur thoughts\opinions & yuh bisnis then DONT post anything up on public domains where everybody can view it , keep it to urself & u have nothing to be worried about .....

[nismoid]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Act ... 29951.html
Like PEA get bowled out for the contract.
Anyhoo allyuh feel whatever data they collect from this procedure will ever displayed as negative to the partner$hit?

[supercharged turbo]

You already know the answer

[pioneer]

brb firing up alternate account

[brams112]

its very simple : if u dont want ppl to know ur thoughts\opinions & yuh bisnis then DONT post anything up on public domains where everybody can view it , keep it to urself & u have nothing to be worried about .....

Ent in here have people posting up other folks stupid opinion from the book?so what is the froth about?

[handsomeRob2837]

Does tuner counts as "other social media sites"?

[De Dragon]

PP supporters will let Kams screw them with a barbed wire dildo....they would throw a fit if Patos did similar...after all he was an "emperor, creeping dictator, Mugabe"

If? He did precisely that! Remember spying on President, Opposition, and some other folks ? Whoever does it is wrong, and not every single thing needs to be a PNM/PP pissing contest.

[kurpal_v2]

So kamela see my dick pics? Sweet

[Ted_v2]

Whoadan.

Lewwe hope them clamp down on this reroute groups.

[j.o.e]

PP supporters will let Kams screw them with a barbed wire dildo....they would throw a fit if Patos did similar...after all he was an "emperor, creeping dictator, Mugabe"

If? He did precisely that! Remember spying on President, Opposition, and some other folks ? Whoever does it is wrong, and not every single thing needs to be a PNM/PP pissing contest.

I agree it's wrong regardless who does it.... but I'm speaking about how PP apologists have not a inkling of shame and defend the indefensible. UML and ZR in particular would let anything slide....its sad that political allegiance would rib us of the ability to see right and wrong.
Still would love ton know the cost of this exercise, it's of no benefit to the citizens and is a fancy way of starting the electioneering using tax payers money

[zoom rader]

PP supporters will let Kams screw them with a barbed wire dildo....they would throw a fit if Patos did similar...after all he was an "emperor, creeping dictator, Mugabe"

If? He did precisely that! Remember spying on President, Opposition, and some other folks ? Whoever does it is wrong, and not every single thing needs to be a PNM/PP pissing contest.

I agree it's wrong regardless who does it.... but I'm speaking about how PP apologists have not a inkling of shame and defend the indefensible. UML and ZR in particular would let anything slide....its sad that political allegiance would rib us of the ability to see right and wrong.
Still would love ton know the cost of this exercise, it's of no benefit to the citizens and is a fancy way of starting the electioneering using tax payers money

Keep reading the Express

[DVSTT]

Does tuner counts as "other social media sites"?

It's the only social life I have.

[TriP]

By Kakashi Sensei - Jan 17, 2015

[eurotuner]

oh gorsh, so dey have meh kokoloks pics

[fouljuice]

Will dey know how often I go on pornhub and redtube etc?